Hello there, loving leader —
I spent Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday on a business building and marketing retreat (Soulful Leadership Intensive) that took place here in Charlotte and was led by the amazing and brilliant Joanna Lindenbaum. (Cannot recommend this woman enough!)
While I’ve been on retreats before, this was the first retreat that allowed me to focus on myself and my business in this way. This wasn’t one of those retreats where you’re lying in hammocks below the warm sun knowing you’ll be well rested on the back end…
This was work.
I said YES! to this retreat because digging into strategy is confronting for me. It triggers the “do-er” in a way that disconnects me from my intention, and if there’s one thing I know to be true — logistics that aren’t sourced by a whole lotta love aren’t as powerful and tend to fall kind of flat.
I also chose to do this for you. I preach about the necessity of putting time, money, and energy into our lives and businesses so as to thrive, and I don’t have a leg to stand on if I’m not leading by example.
Here were some of my most impactful takeaways.
Being inspired by leaders we look up to is igniting.
As we are growing as leaders, it can make us feel lost if we don’t have a role model that we align with. While we don’t want to begin comparing ourselves and trying to be just like them, we do want to be able to look to someone who has “been there and done that”. Each of us has a spark in our soul to create, but it needs to be ignited!
Validation can be a fix if we’re questioning ourselves, but it’s also empowering.
When we’ve made a commitment to invest the time, money, and energy to become experts in our field, it’s scary to begin taking ownership of that. The inner critic may begin asking us who we are, telling us we’re egotistical, pointing out the gap, etc. On the back end of this retreat, I feel more connected to my power as a coach for other business owners than ever before because I have a new sense of trust in my intuitive skills and in my knowledge for creating and running a sustainable business. I had no idea how much I already knew, and I don’t actually know how I even know it!
Creating in a safe, sacred container creates a deeper level of focus. (See the photo above for a beautiful picture of the center of our circle.)
What I created over the past 3 days would’ve taken much longer, so in the end, investing time, money, and energy in this retreat will actually save me all 3 in the long run. One of the biggest mistakes I see people make in their business is to get caught up in the short term thinking. This way of thinking will not generate the result you and your business need to thrive. (Keep in mind, that you can play on a gradient that works for you. If an investment of this caliber is not where you’re at, and it’s too far to stretch yourself without being taken out, go for a 2 hour workshop or something more appropriate.
Support is key.
When we’re truly committed to our leadership and playing the game of leading by example, there’s no way to truly do this from an authentic place of power unless we take on some type of transformational work. On this type of journey, it can feel lonely if we’re not connected to others who are going through it, too. People who see us growing sometimes perceive us as leaving them behind. They may think that we think we’re too good for them. Etc. This retreat gave me a sense of: Sisterhood. Community. Being supported, and when we have a ton of support, we can really step out and into our leadership in a whole new way, which feels good and gives our business greater visibility.
